Businesses in Smiths Falls, Ont. vow solidarity following layoffs at Canopy Growth

Businesses in Smiths Falls, Ont. say they're better positioned to withstand the layoffs at Canopy Growth, with the business community vowing solidarity and resilience as it adjusts to another economic blow to the community.

While the town reels from the cannabis company's layoffs, with 350 of the 800 layoffs affecting the area along with the closure of the former Hershey plant, Smiths Falls business owners say this community will move forward.

"Even texts yesterday coming back and forth to my office, folks in this town will stick together and we'll get through it," said Rob Dopson, co-owner of The Locksmith's Taphouse and Hunt and Dopson Insurance Group. 

"A lot of the people here in the community, it's a very tight-knit community, not that we hadn't heard rumblings of it before, but as soon as it comes to fruition you are devastated for the families," he added. 

Dopson says while the layoffs are disappointing, it is not the shockwave this town felt back in 2007 when two large employers shut their doors.

"The community lost about 1,500 jobs with Hershey and the Rideau Regional (Hospital) closing immediately and we were able to weather that storm," he said.

Amy Rensby prepares coffee at C'Est Tout in Smiths Falls on Friday. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Over at C'est Tout bakery, owner Amy Rensby agrees.

"You had whole families impacted with no notice, who suddenly had no income," she recalled. "People I've spoken to in the last 24 hours don't feel the sense of dread."

She says businesses here are resilient and have learned to work together in order to grow stronger.

"I do think that Tweed's presence and Canopy's presence here over the last number of years has also bolstered that confidence and resilience going forward," Rensby said. "The community at large, the business community, are very resilient, have a lot of strength in how we do things and really creative in finding ways forward."

Rensby says news of change happening at Canopy Growth was also expected.

"I think that the writing has kind of been on the wall for Canopy for a while, they've been struggling," she said.

"People are kind of looking at it and going, 'OK, this really stinks and it's sad for the people who lost their jobs', and 'OK, how do we just continue with moving forward,'" Rensby added. "I think that's the really important part, is that people are already, just yesterday, thinking how we move forward, what do we do next and that's I think a signal of the strength of the community."

Another silver lining in the situation, according to Dopson, is while One Hershey Drive may soon become empty, it's ready and waiting for the next investment.

"Go back to what's there, that's not an old shell of a building when Hershey closed if you will. That's modern, state of the art. It won't be long until somebody comes back in, takes it over and continues to move Smiths Falls in a very positive direction in the future," he said. 

"There is a really strong business community; nothing stands out to me in a sense like 'Oh, this business community could be in trouble.' I don't believe that's true," added Rensby. "We're much more prepared for it."